Chinese FM meets with Republic of the Congo's minister of int'l cooperation

DAKAR, Nov. 29 (Xinhua) -- Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with Minister of International Cooperation of the Republic of the Congo Denis Christel Sassou Nguesso in Dakar on Monday, ahead of the opening of the 8th Ministerial Conference of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC).

Wang asked Christel to convey Chinese President Xi Jinping's cordial greetings to President Denis Sassou Nguesso, saying that the two leaders have established solid mutual trust and sound relations, which provide an important political guarantee for the development of bilateral relations.

China is ready to strengthen mutual support and strategic coordination with the Republic of the Congo to push forward cooperation in various fields, Wang said, adding that China stands ready to be the Republic of the Congo's most reliable partner in its development and rejuvenation, and supports the Republic of the Congo in enhancing its capacity for independent development and realizing diversified development.

Christel asked Wang to convey President Denis Sassou Nguesso's best wishes to President Xi and sincere congratulations on the 100th birthday of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the great achievements China has made.

He said President Denis Sassou Nguesso cherishes the friendship with President Xi and personally cares about promoting the development of bilateral relations. The Republic of the Congo highly appreciates China's support and assistance for its development and fight against the pandemic and will always stand with China.

The cooperation between the Republic of the Congo and China on the Belt and Road Initiative is of high quality and fruitful, said Christel. The industrial capacity cooperation between the two countries serves as a model for Africa-China cooperation.

The Republic of the Congo is ready to further enhance all-round cooperation with China for the benefit of the two peoples, said Christel.

China's contribution to Africa's development is widely acknowledged, he said, adding that the ministerial conference will be a complete success and greatly promote China-Africa friendship and cooperation.

The CPC has united and led the Chinese people in successfully achieving the first centenary goal and is embarking on a great journey toward the second centenary goal, Wang said, adding that the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation has entered an irreversible historical course.

China's development strengthens the forces for peace and progress, contributes to the overall growth of developing countries, and is supported by the vast majority of African countries, Wang said.

China is ready to strengthen solidarity and cooperation with African countries to help Africa achieve faster development and jointly safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of developing countries, Wang said.